I had a bit of a thought whilst meditating today – I suppose you could call it a vision in fact, since it was visual in nature, tho that conjures up all sorts of weird connotations.

I was imagining peeling off rusty plates of armour from a figure that had been buried a long time in the ground, gradually peeling off layer after layer and revealing what was underneath.

Im seeing the “self” as an encrustation of responses that have turned into defense mechanisms, perceptions that have ossified into beliefs and tendencies that have petrified into habits.

Coated in this fixed layer of solidified self, the being inside the armour has become mired in the morass of the society around it. Elements of the dense atmosphere has adhered to the surface of the armour, reinforcing its strength and further separating the being inside from the reality that surrounds it.

Sinking further into the turgid ground beneath it, the figure has become embedded and trapped, its movements gradually decreasing until it has become entombed and motionless, its potential for growth lying dormant inside.

Now the figure has been discovered and exhumed, the process begins of peeling off the surface to find what lies beneath – a simple being of infinite light, an indefinable process of energy and becoming.

Well, there’s been a development since my recent post about my efforts to follow a spiritual path – yesterday evening I asked to be Ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order.

Its an exciting feeling and also a very natural one – something I’ve built up to fairly gently over the last four years of my involvement with Buddhism and my gradual realisation that I am definitely Buddhist (and not merely Buddhish as Ive been claiming until recently )

In Buddhist terminology what this involes is going for refuge to the three jewels (the jewels being Buddha, Dharma and Sangha).

What this means is that I recognise the Buddha as a symbol of the ideal of human enlightenment, the Dharma (the body of teaching) as being the route towards that goal and the Sangha (the community of other Buddhists) as being the context in which I want to practice.

In a way, I cant put my hand on my heart and say Im really trying to become enlightened because if I was too make 100% effort to acheive that lofty goal,  then I’d probably be meditating all day, not just for one hour in the morning.  However, I do believe that any steps I can take in that direction will be of benefit to me and, since I believe we are all fundamentally connected, also to the benefit of all sentient beings.

The Triratna Order is a lay order, so I’m not going off to be a monk or anything, in fact little will change at first other than a strengthening of my resolve to work on myself to become a better and more compassionate person – as those who know me well can confirm, there’s plenty of room for improvement!

Anyway, I’ll share significant moments along the path here as I can, meanwhile, wish me luck!
Xx

I’ve been a bit of a seeker for many years and lately – in the last four years or so, have found Buddhism – particularly as taught by the recently renamed Triratna Buddhist Order – to be a very fertile ground for my journey.

In that spirit I’d like to share a few quotes I’ve come across that have struck me, from Subhuti a Triratna Order member, taken from a recent talk at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre (I’m paraphrasing slightly):

“Skillful action leads to a sense of fulfillment and a smoother, happier life.  Unskillful action leads to inner pain, and possibly outer, too.  In this way, morality is built into the universe.”

This is one way of looking at the essence of Buddhism, which Subhuti also refers to as “a radical exposure of the fundamental mutability of things”.

Interestingly, the Birmingham centre is kind of the hotbed of the Order, (tho this may soon change) – currently it is home to Sangharakshita, the founder of what is now a world-wide movemment, and also Dharmapala College – “a collaborative enquiry into reality and open-handed sharing of understanding and experience”.

In founding what was then called the Western Buddhist Order in 1968, Sangharakshita had a very radical idea – to create the nucleus of a new society – one not based on needs, but a free association of individuals with a common commitment to personal development.

My spiritual progress is very much just that – a work in progress, so I’ll close this post on a very reassuring quote from Subhuti taken from the same talk as the one above -”spiritual progress unfolds of its own accord, once one has reached a certain level of momentum”.  Something to look foward to then!

By the way – you can listen to the whole talk for free (or voluntary donation on the amazing web resource Free Buddhist Audio).
Xx

Im looking forward to heading off tomorrow lunchtime on my first week long retreat.

Ive been on several weekend retreats now and whilst I greatly enjoy them and get quite a lot out of them, there’s a bit of a feeling thats its almost over by the time Im settling in. A week should really give me some time to get deep into my meditation practice without distraction (maybe it should be called an Advance, not a Retreat!).

The venue is the Vajraloka Meditation Centre in Wales and as you can see from the pic, it looks like a beautiful spot – Ive bought some new walking boots for the occasion.

Im a tiny bit apprehensive about committing to such an immersive experience, not least because of the amount of meditation thats likely to be involved, but Ive been meditating a lot more this year (an hour every weekday morning, three hours on saturday morning, plus shorter sits as part of my wednesday and thursday evenings) so it should feel like a natural progression.

Im not taking a mobile phone and theres no internet, so this is me logging out for a week – see you on the other side!
Xx